Son's portrait

[Chris Saper]

With apologies to all, I mistakenly removed several comments made by Michele Rushworth, and several posts up. They are as follows:

On the portrait of your son, I would just soften the ear shape a bit. The irregularity seems more pronounced in your painting than it does in the photo, especially near the bottom of his ear.

The whites in his right eye (as we see it) seem a bit too bright and you might want to add some warm tones to the hair light.

Otherwise great job, and I love the one you did in the Open Studio session. http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...&threadid=1707

[Karin Wells]

Do you think a pure "cool" color may have worked in my portrait, perhaps a very high key blue?

When you toss in really pure bright color, you need to do it sparingly. Since your reds elsewhere are already intense, I doubt that you can get away with it in this particular painting. You would have to experiment with it to see. I simply wanted to make this suggestion for future reference, since you obviously have some interest and skill in the use of color.

[Chris Saper]

Julia,

I love this discussion about color! My approach is somewhat different from Karin's, in that I see the areas of most highly saturated and truest color in the form just before the transition from light to shadow occurs. This is where I see the color being least influenced by either the strength or the temperature of the light source, and not yet subjected to the influences of shadow. In the little diagram below, I have indicated the areas where I think the purest color is located.

Reflected light, as I see it, is generally a function of two things: the color of the light source (in this case, warm) and the local color being bounced into the shadow.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, I have to say that Karin's demonstrated impact of strong color in the shadow is extremely successful. Because her light source is cool, I think the success is strengthened even more by the relatively warmer shadow color, and the fact that warm skin color is being bounced back into the reflected light. In addition, the angle of Karin's subject is such that we see more directly where the reflected color occurs. In your portrait, Julia, the area of reflected light is somewhat hidden by the angle of the photo.

[Julia Reynolds]

Chris,

I also relish any discussion of color. Throughout my education in a classroom senario and reading anything on the topic, I have been presented with so many approaches to color.

I agree with you and that is what I see when I paint, the most pure color right before a shadow turns into the lighted side.

My difficulty is in painting what "I" see as opposed to painting what I "see". Sometimes I see the shadow as so cool that I paint it in greens or blues, other times they appear warm so I use a warm dark color. The same goes for highlights.

It's a struggle but I love it. This Forum is also terrific. I am glad it is here and that so many participate.

[Karin Wells]

Just a note about where I'm coming from regarding color.

Most artists are trained to paint what they "see", and there is certainly nothing wrong with that approach.

However, I am more apt to paint what I "know" and I pretty much ignore what I "see" when it is in conflict. That is, nobody really sees bright orange under a chin (in my earlier example) but I put it there because I simply like pure color in place of reflected light. Intense color oftentimes defines this secondary light without breaking up a shadow's value.

I also agree with Chris that the truest color is to be found where light and shadow meet (halftone). When I am painting, I often begin with the halftone and work into light on one side and into the shadow on the other.

[Mike McCarty]

I hope you ladies don't mind a golfing metaphor.

I've heard it said that the weekend (occasional) golfer, when he stands over the ball preparing to swing, thinks he is looking down at the ball. In fact his field of focus is an area approximately 12" in circumference. For the more accomplished golfer, the one that might score 75-80, will actually be focusing only on the ball. But, the professional golfer "sees" and focuses only on the back side of the golf ball.

I think this discussion is really getting to the back side of the ball.

[Karin Wells]

Hmmmmm. I'm sort of unfamiliar with golf and not sure I understand your metaphor.

[Mike McCarty]

Karin,

I think it's the difference between just seeing the right side of the face and, as you and Chris have pointed out, seeing the many subtle pinpoint transitions that can take place even within a relatively small area.

For myself, I must force myself to not just to glance at an area but to focus longer to pull out what is usually there to see if I take the extra effort.

[Karin Wells]

Got it. Except for wanting to paint Tiger Woods someday, golf is not my strong suit. Thanks for your thoughtful explanation.

[Mike McCarty]

Karin,

I gave the portrait painting metaphor to a bunch of golfers the other day and they chased me back through the club house and into the parking lot. They are a much more rowdy bunch, not as tolerant as you folk.